


Sickness

by TheEmcee



Category: Dir en grey
Genre: Complete, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied Slash, M/M, Male Slash, One Shot, Past Relationship(s), Sick Kaoru, Sickfic, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 15:57:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEmcee/pseuds/TheEmcee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For a long time, no one in the band knew that Kaoru had a weak immune system and that he got sick often. He was good at hiding it, what with years of practice from his childhood. Then Die found out and Kaoru finally had someone who could help him through being sick almost constantly. However, Kyo had his suspicions and one night after practice, he goes back to the studio to confront Kaoru about it. What he finds when he returns wasn't what he had been expecting, but that could be a good thing…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sickness

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the boys from Dir En Grey nor do I own Dir En Grey. They own themselves.
> 
> A/N: This is my first Diru fic, so be gentle with me. Let me know what you think!

~…~

"A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ."

John Steinbeck

~…~

Kaoru, Kyo noticed, was unusually quiet today. Yes, he was usually quiet, but he didn't even join Die when the rhythm guitarist started teasing Shinya again, and that was odd. On a normal day, Kaoru always had a jab or two aimed at the drummer, but today, he didn't say anything while the teasing was going on. Actually, he hardly said anything at all. If someone asked him a question, he'd nod, shake his head, shrug, or simply ignored the question. At least, it seemed as though he ignored it.

And this wasn't something new, either. Kyo had noticed Kaoru acting like this numerous times in the past. Ever since La:Sadie's, as a matter of fact, Kaoru would get into this…mood or funk or whatever it was. He would act like this for days, sometimes even weeks, on end before he got over it. No one else seemed to notice, though. Die certainly didn't act as though he noticed something was up; considering he was Kaoru's best friend, Kyo knows that he would've asked. Toshiya didn't seem to notice or else he would've said something, and the same went for Shinya.

It wasn't just the fact that Kaoru was unusually quiet that made Kyo suspicious, though.

All throughout practice, he kept an eye on Kaoru as much as he could and whatever was wrong with him was reflected in his playing. Kaoru was damn good at what he did, Kyo knew this, and even on a bad day, or what Kyo thought of as a 'bad day', the older man still hit his mark every single time with just as much enthusiasm and energy as he always did. Today, however, was something far worse than a bad day because Kaoru seemed stiff and slow. Kyo dared to even think that he missed a few notes, although it was hard to tell since the others were playing and he was singing. If the others heard it, they would've said something, especially Die since he loved picking on Kaoru for being a perfectionist.

Aside from that, Kaoru looked paler than usual and he even seemed thinner than what he had been a month or so ago. Maybe he was drinking too much? Maybe he was on drugs? Kyo didn't know, but if it was starting to affect Kaoru's performance, then it needed to be addressed. He wouldn't do it in front of the others; that wouldn't be fair to Kaoru. But when they left, he would. Before he did so, he'd go out and have a cigarette because he would need it, especially if Kaoru put up a fight instead of just outright tell Kyo what was going on. As smart as he was, Kaoru was also stubborn and independent; if he didn't want help or even to admit that there was something wrong, he wasn't going to. And Kyo wasn't going to pull teeth unless he had something to relax him beforehand.

~…~

Ever since he was a kid, Kaoru had been sick, very sick. It wasn't his fault; he didn't want to be born with an incredibly weak immune system. And it wasn't his parents' fault; they did everything they could. But there was no way to permanently fix a weak immune system, not even in Japan. When he was little, he would catch everything under the sun. He almost always had a cold or the flu or something. But Kaoru couldn't be constantly in and out of the hospital; his parents' couldn't afford it and he couldn't afford to miss school all of the time.

So, the older he got, the better he became at hiding just how sick he really was. Even if it meant not talking for days or weeks on end, he would do it. Kaoru always had boxes of cold and flu medicine hidden in his room, but being almost constantly sick meant that the medications helped him out very little as time wore on. How he had made it to be thirty-six was beyond him; he was surprised that he wasn't dead yet or had contracted a disease that would eventually kill him.

The only person who even knew how bad his immune system was and how often he was sick was Die. Die had been there for him more times than Kaoru could even count. He had seen Kaoru vomit all over himself; he had seen him red nosed and feverish; he had even had to put him in an ice cold bath, naked, a few times. There were many reasons why Die was Kaoru's best friend, but even Kaoru was surprised that he had broken down and told the rhythm guitarist about all of it. And he meant all of it.

Die had let him talk and talk, telling him about how it had been since he had first been born and about how he had learned to hide it from everyone around him as he grew older. Kaoru was thankful that Die had listened attentively and hadn't judged him for it. Instead, he had told Kaoru that he'd be there whenever he was needed and to just give him a call. Needless to say, Kaoru took him up on that offer several times and Die always came through for him no matter what. He supposed that he owed Die more than his life, considering how many times Die had saved it.

And now, he was sick again – but honestly, that was nothing new. What had started off as a slight tingling in his throat turned into an all-out cold and flu, complete with a headache that made his vision blurry at best and royally fucked up at worst, a sore throat that felt as though wolves had tried to rip him apart, a fever that wouldn't go away no matter what he did, and a cough that seriously made him consider quitting smoking for days on end. When Kaoru first came down with it, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to hide it from everyone else, especially the cough. It didn't help that his body felt as though it weighed a ton and the very thought of food made his stomach wince and coil in on itself.

Of course, Die knew that he was sick and that it was worse than it had been the last time he was sick, which was about three weeks ago when that sinus infection hit. Kaoru was thankful that Die hadn't told any of the others about how sickly he always was and that he had refrained from teasing Kaoru about being sluggish during practice. He had messed up a few times during practice and he knew that Die had heard him. None of the others seemed to notice that anything was wrong, although there were a few times that Kaoru felt as though Kyo was watching him.

Kyo.

Their singer and lyricist was a force no one would want to reckon with on a good day. If he was keeping an eye on Kaoru, then he had noticed something. But perhaps that was the fever talking; Kaoru honestly didn't know. The very thought of Kyo watching him period made his heart jump leaps and bounds that it honestly shouldn't. Even if Kyo was into men, why would he want someone like Kaoru? Relationships were never his forte, not when his partners discovered his dirty, little secret. Who wanted the responsibility of taking care of some sick weakling? Kaoru didn't even want that responsibility and he was the sick weakling.

Regardless, he pushed thoughts of Kyo out of his mind and focused on concentrating on what he was doing. Practice would be over soon and that meant that he could go home and crawl under the covers. Or maybe he would just collapse on his couch like he did last night. That didn't sound like a bad idea.

After an hour more of practice, Kyo called it quits.

"That's enough," Kyo mumbled and everyone seemed relieved.

Kaoru almost sighed in relief as he set his guitar down. He felt eyes on him and looked up to see Die's concerned brown eyed gaze. Feeling bad for causing his best friend to worry about him, Kaoru gave him the best smile he could, which was really more of a grimace than anything else. It wouldn't fool Die – he was more intelligent than others gave him credit for – but it seemed to be enough to let the taller man know that Kaoru could get home by himself at least.

Toshiya was the first one to leave, saying something about having a dinner date with his girlfriend. Shinya left after him, bidding everyone soft spoken farewells before he was out the door. Kyo said something about going out for a smoke before he left for the day and then he was out the door. Die stayed back, though Kaoru had figured he would.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to make it home?" Die asked him softly. Kaoru managed a weak nod.

"I'll be fine. It's not like I haven't done it before," Kaoru reassured him. Die chewed on his bottom lip before he reluctantly started for the door.

"Call me when you get home," he said.

"I will," Kaoru promised him. Seeming satisfied by that, Die left, leaving Kaoru by himself.

Feeling more than weak and a little bit dizzy, Kaoru sat down on a chair and held his head in his hands. He had been going from hot to cold all damn day, and since none of the others knew about it, he couldn't very well constantly change the temperature. His stomach was growling and rumbling, but Kaoru wasn't going to eat anything, not when the possibility of throwing up was too high. Die was a great guy, but Kaoru would feel like the worst person alive if his best friend had to clean up his vomit…again.

Breathing in and out, thankful that he was alone to do so out loud since it was hard for him to breathe through his nose, Kaoru tried to steady himself and gain whatever strength he could from within. If he could make it home, he'd be safe. Getting home was his goal, after that, he could pass out and sleep until his stupid alarm clock started screaming at him to get up.

After a few more minutes of sitting, Kaoru was confident enough that he'd be able to stand without collapsing or possibly fainting. Breathing out, he slapped his knees and stood up, starting for his guitar.

The world around him began to blur and swirl. Everything around him was spinning. His vision faded in and out. Kaoru didn't even realize that he was falling. Everything faded to black before he even hit the floor.

~…~

Putting out his second cigarette, Kyo turned and entered the studio. Kaoru was still there, he knew, because he hadn't seen him leave yet. He saw Die, who looked more than a bit distracted as he walked by Kyo, barely managing a 'see ya'. It was peculiar that he hadn't seen Kaoru leave yet, though. Even if he had to wrap something up, he would've at least come out to have a smoke. Upon entering the room, Kyo found out why Kaoru hadn't.

Lying on the floor, sprawled out awkwardly, was Kaoru. He was unconscious, obviously, and his breathing was fast and shallow. Kyo bent down and placed a hand on Kaoru's cheek. It was burning up, which surprised him. Kaoru hadn't told him or anyone that he was sick. Or had he…? Taking out his phone, Kyo called the only person he could think of who could help him out. Die.

"Hey, Kyo. What's up?" Die asked him.

"Die, Kaoru's passed out on the floor of the studio," Kyo said, not even bothering to say 'hi'. Before he could say anything else, Die started speaking.

"I'm on my way. I'll be there in a few minutes," Die said and hung up.

Kyo knelt down and pressed his hand to Kaoru's forehead. Just as he thought, it was practically on fire. His hair was sweaty and matted to his forehead, face, and neck. He tried to help Kaoru up so he could get him to the couch, but Kyo nearly dropped him, unused to the extra weight and having to move an unconscious body. Not wanting to hurt Kaoru even more, Kyo laid him back on the ground, feeling useless and helpless.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long for Die. In a matter of minutes, he was rushing into the room and kneeling down beside Kaoru, who groaned softly when Die pressed his hand to the other guitarist's forehead.

"How long has he been out?" Die asked Kyo.

"I don't know. I was outside for about ten minutes," Kyo told him. "When I came back inside, I saw him lying on the floor. He was burning up."

"He still is," Die said softly. "Can you help me lift him up?"

"Yeah," Kyo said. Somehow, they managed to get Kaoru up and into Die's arms.

"Where are you going to take him?" Kyo asked him, not sure what was going on. Die seemed to know what he was doing and what had to be done, but why would he know all of that? Has this happened before?

"To his place," Die said. They walked outside of the studio.

"Mine's closer," Kyo told him. And it was true. He only lived about five minutes or so away.

"Are you sure?" Die asked him, stopping, concern displayed all over his face.

"Yes, I'm sure," Kyo said. "Although it'd probably be better to take him to a hospital. Don't you think?" Die shook his head.

"No. There's nothing they can do for him," he replied. "Your place it is."

Kyo unlocked his car and Die, somehow, managed to place Kaoru in the backseat gently and without hitting his head or anything. Once the taller man was satisfied that Kaoru was comfortable, he got in the car and they pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Kyo's apartment.

The ride there was silent and Die kept looking back at Kaoru to check on him. A few times, he would reach out and feel his forehead or cheek. Kyo couldn't help but watch him while he did so each and every time. He saw the look on Die's face, one of love and concern, and he couldn't stop the flare of jealousy that surged inside of him every time. It never showed on his face, but he felt it.

He didn't even understand why he felt jealous of the obvious love between Kaoru and Die. It wasn't as though he was in a relationship with the older guitarist, no matter how hard he wished he was. Besides, what went on between Kaoru and Die outside of the band was none of his business. If they were fucking each other, so what? If something more was going on, so what? When it came down to it, it really wasn't any of Kyo's business.

So why did he feel so jealous?

They reached his apartment building and Kyo and Die had to hold Kaoru up between them while they made their way inside. Once they got into the elevator, they leaned against the wall, Kaoru still out between them, and took a little breather before they reached Kyo's floor. When the elevator stopped, Kyo dug out his keys and, together, he and Die managed to carry Kaoru to his apartment and get him inside before anyone could get curious or nosy.

Once inside, Die laid Kaoru gently down on the couch before he turned to Kyo.

"Could you fill your bath tub with cold water?" he asked. "As cold as you can get it. His fever hasn't gone down yet."

"Yeah, sure," Kyo said before he made his way to the bathroom. Turning the tub's faucet on, he waited until the water was as cold as it was going to get before he plugged the drain and allowed it to begin to fill.

Die entered the bathroom and propped Kaoru on the toilet. He began untying Kaoru's shoes while the tub filled up.

"Could you help me get him undressed?" Die said. Kyo could only nod, his heart racing at the fact that he was about to see Kaoru naked. He had only seen Kaoru naked once before and that had been a while back, while they were on one of their many tours. But he had never forgotten just how pale and smooth the guitarist's skin was or how much he wanted to run his hands and tongue all over it.

"Alright," Kyo said.

Unlacing the other shoe, he pulled it off before pulling Kaoru's sock off. Once Die had done the same, they slowly and carefully, so as not to disturb Kaoru or ruin his pants, pulled his pants down bit by bit. Being so close to Kaoru and yet unable to touch was driving Kyo insane and he felt his dick throb and pulse quite a few times. Once his pants were off, Kyo held Kaoru up slightly so that Die could remove his boxers and thank God it was Die who did it. If Kyo had been the one to do it, he would've done something he'd regret and right in front of Die as well. After Kaoru's boxers were tossed to the side, they removed his shirt and gently, ever so gently, they lowered Kaoru into the tub of cold water.

Kaoru gasped and his eyes flickered before they opened wide and obvious shocked at the cold sensation. Kyo stood back and watched and Die quickly soothed him.

"Kaoru, sh. It's okay. You're okay," Die told him, one hand on Kaoru's shoulder to keep him placed in the tub. "Relax. Close your eyes and relax. I know that it's cold but you're body needs it." Kaoru must have been conscious to some extent because he nodded ever so slightly before he closed his eyes. Within seconds, he was out again.

"He's exhausted," Die said. "Probably hasn't been getting any restful sleep." He stayed sitting on the floor beside the tub, his eyes watching Kaoru as he slept. Kyo sat down on the toilet and watched them for a little while.

He knew that Die and Kaoru were best friends. They were both close in age – only a few months apart – and they both loved video games and music, obviously, and they got along extremely well. Watching them as they were, with Kaoru feverish and unconscious and Die taking care of him, Kyo couldn't help but feel jealousy and longing well up inside of him.

For a long time now, he's liked Kaoru. From right off the bat, he found Kaoru attractive, although also a bit frightening. It was his attitude and the way he carried himself, as though nothing could touch him, that piqued Kyo's interest. But what drew him in and completely submerged him in his feels was the way Kaoru played, how he was when the music took over. Kyo knew how it felt and understood it; the things he did on stage while he performed were proof of that. Whether he wanted to or not, Kyo had fallen for Kaoru. Over the years, he had suppressed his feelings and kept them hidden inside, never letting them out, allowing them to fester and germinate. He doubted Kaoru saw him in that light. Even if he did, he had Die.

Speaking of Die…

Kyo was curious as to how Die seemed to know what was wrong with Kaoru, almost as though it had happened before. But he would know if Kaoru were sick, wouldn't he? Well, probably not, since Kaoru was sick now and he hadn't realized it until he saw him lying on the studio floor.

"Has this happened before?" Kyo asked Die, breaking the silence. Die hesitated for a brief moment before he answered.

"Yes. It's happened before. Numerous times, actually," Die told him. Kyo leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees while his hands were clasped in front of him.

"Numerous times? But…how…?" He wasn't even sure what he was asking. Surely, he would've noticed that Kaoru was sick a lot. Or at the very least Shinya would have. But Shinya hadn't and neither had he.

"He hides it well," Die said, almost cryptically.

"Hides what well?" Kyo ask, beginning to feel a little frustrated over the fact that Die wasn't really giving him the answers he wanted. Die sighed and moved so that he could lean against the bathroom wall. He was facing Kyo, but his eyes never left Kaoru. It was almost as though he were afraid to do so.

"Being sick," Die said. And then he began to explain. "Kaoru was born with a weak immune system. From what he told me, it's very weak. Medicine doesn't really help him anymore since he's taken so much of it because he's almost always sick. He learned to hide being sick when he was a teenager. His parents' couldn't always afford to give him the adequate care that he needed and he couldn't afford to miss a lot of school. But it's very rare for him to not be sick. Kaoru's always picking up something…"

Kyo let that sink in. Kaoru had a very weak immune system and was always sick, but he hid it from everyone. Medicine didn't help him anymore, and Kyo figured that Kaoru got tired of taking it all of that time anyway. He didn't tell anyone but Die. Why Die? Why was it always Die?

"Why did he tell you? Why didn't he tell anyone else?" Kyo said.

"I'm not really sure why he told me, to be honest. Frankly, I think that Kaoru was tired of dealing with all of it alone," Die told him. "I think he wanted someone he was close to and who he knew and trusted he could rely on. And I guess that that's me."

"But he still should've told me, Shinya, and Toshiya at least, if no one else," Kyo persisted. "At least then, we'd all know and be aware and we could work with him."

"The first time you met Kao, he frightened you, didn't he?" Die asked him randomly. Kyo blinked at him, wondering where the hell the rhythm guitarist was going with this, but he answered regardless.

"Yes, we all were," he said. "Why?"

"Why did he frighten you?"

"Because… Because he had this air about him that told me he wasn't someone to fuck with. And I guess because he was stubborn and driven and determined and that he'd crush anyone who got in his way," Kyo said. "There was just something about him that made me not want to piss him off." Die nodded and smiled a bit.

"Yeah, Kaoru was like that. Still is," Die said softly before he raised his voice a little. "I bet you wouldn't have taken him or his guitar skills seriously if the person you met was a sick, pale, thin man, nee?"

"No. No, I probably wouldn't have," Kyo admitted.

"Kaoru had to hide how sick he always was almost all the time. What better way to do that than to frighten the people you'd be working closely with?" Die said.

"He let you in," Kyo said before he could stop himself. But once the words were out, there was no taking them back. And who better to know that than he?

"He did. But I know he wants to let you in," Die said, a smile gracing his lips. His expression confused Kyo. Wasn't Kaoru with Die?

"Why would he want to let me in? Just me? Why not tell Toshiya and Shinya too?" Kyo retorted softly.

"Because Kaoru doesn't care for Toshiya or Shinya the way he cares for you," Die said simply. Kyo's eyes widened and he swore that his heart stopped. Did…did Die just say what he thought he said?

"Kaoru…" Kyo started before he paused. Once he was sure what he wanted to ask, he tried once more. "Are you telling me that Kaoru…cares about…me?"

"Yes, I am. It's kind of obvious," Die told him, laughing a bit. He looked over at Kaoru and placed his hand on his forehead. "His fever's going down. Good." Turning back to Kyo, he continued, "He gave over leadership of the band to you, didn't he? He trusted that you knew what you were doing and what you were getting into and that you'd be able to handle it. Plus, Kaoru hasn't been in an actual relationship in years. And you two have more in common than you realize."

"Why didn't he ever tell me?" Kyo practically growled, angry at himself and Kaoru. He was angry at Kaoru for never having told him this before and he was angry at himself for not having noticed what Die said was obvious. God, how stupid was he?

"You know how Kaoru is: frightening on the outside, insecure on the inside," Die said. "Most of his relationships didn't work out because he was always sick. Who was to say that you'd be any different?" He had a point and they both knew it.

"Any more questions, Waru?" Die said with a grin.

"If I think of any, I'll call you," Kyo told him.

"Well, you have my number," Die said. He felt Kaoru's forehead once again. "He's cooling down. Can I trust you to take care of him?" he asked as he stood up.

"Of course I'll take care of him," Kyo said, a faint blush crossing his face.

"Good," Die said and started for the bathroom door.

"Die?" Kyo said, stopping the guitarist from leaving.

"Yeah?"

"Have you…have you ever slept with Kaoru?" Kyo asked him looking him dead in the eye. Die started back, not wavering, and met Kyo's gaze head on.

"Yes, I have. A couple times," Die replied. "To help bring some of his fevers down when I couldn't get ahold of cold enough water or ice." He opened the door and paused. Turning back, he met Kyo's eyes once more before he added, "Kaoru's my best friend and I love him. But I'm not in love with him and he's not in love with me. It's always been about you, Kyo."

With that, he left Kyo alone in the bathroom with a naked Kaoru. He stayed there, sitting on the toilet for a little while, watching Kaoru's bare chest rise and fall. His eyes raked over Kaoru's too thin form and took in the bags under his eyes and how his lips were parted slightly so that he could breathe and just a little bit blue. Then he realized something and he pulled out his phone and called Die again.

"Calling me already? We definitely need to whip you into shape," Die teased him. Kyo didn't even take the bait, too preoccupied on his realization.

"Die, when do I pull Kaoru out of the water?"

~…~

When Kaoru came to, he realized that he wasn't passed out on his couch or in his bed like he thought. Briefly, he thought of Die and Kyo and something cold surrounding his entire body. He wasn't cold anymore, though, nor was he hot. Actually, it felt as though his fever was gone. If he was, then he would be more than thankful. But how had it broke? It wouldn't just go away on its own. And the last thing he remembered was being incredibly dizzy before falling into darkness.

Die. He had probably helped Kaoru out and managed to break his fever. The next time he was feeling well enough, he was going to take the rhythm guitarist out for a drink. Lord only knew that Die deserved it.

Opening his eyes, Kaoru gazed up at a ceiling that was not his own or Die's. Panic sparked briefly inside of him and he almost cried out before he realized. He had seen this ceiling before. Although he had never laid in the bed, he knew now that he was in Kyo's apartment. It smelled like him and Kaoru, for the first time in a long time, felt truly happy. He inhaled deeply, surprised that he could actually do so. When he opened his eyes again, he sat up and allowed the covers to fall off of him.

That was when Kyo walked into the room.

And that was also when Kaoru realized that he was dressed only in his boxers.

Kyo must have been reading his mind or maybe even saw his eyes widen because he said, "I've already seen you naked, so there's no need for you to hide."

"You've seen me naked?" Kaoru asked him, his face slightly red. Kyo grinned at him and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Last night when Die and I brought you here after your dizzy spell," Kyo explained. He placed the clothes Kaoru wore yesterday on the bed. Kaoru hadn't even noticed that he had been carrying them. "They're clean."

Kaoru nodded his thanks. So, Die had told Kyo about, well, everything. He had to because Die was the only one who referred to Kaoru's fainting as 'dizzy spells'. That means that he had talked to Kyo. Did that also mean that Die had told Kyo…more?

"Die told you about everything then?" Kaoru asked him. Kyo nodded . "Did he tell you about…"

"Kaoru," Kyo said. Kaoru shut his mouth and looked at his band leader, his friend, his…Kyo. "You should have told me sooner. I almost snapped Die's head off last night."

"Why would you do that?" Kaoru asked, his heart starting to beep fast and wild. Hope began to rise up within him, even though he had tried time and time again before to quell it before it started.

"Because I thought that you two were seeing each other," Kyo answered honestly. "But now that I know you're not, I feel better. About a lot of things. And about this."

Before Kaoru could ask 'about what?', Kyo's lips were on his, soft and firm and determined and much more than what Kaoru had ever dreamed before. His arms wrapped around Kyo's back, pulling him close. Laying back down on the bed, Kaoru kicked the blankets off of him and tangled his legs with Kyo's clothed ones. The kiss took his breath away, literally, and he had to pull back sooner than he had hoped. That didn't stop Kyo from nipping along his jaw before he bit down on the spot just below Kaoru's ear.

Grunting softly, Kaoru's body arched up into Kyo's and he closed his eyes, reveling in the sensations that Kyo was giving him. His body felt on fire. Everything within him tingled and sparked deliciously. Never before had he felt such pleasure. None of his past partners had ever made him feel so good, so amazing, so alive.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to last. Just as Kyo bit down again, Kaoru's grunt turned into a coughing fit that made him sit up so suddenly that Kyo almost toppled off the bed. Bending so that his head was between his stomach and legs, Kaoru continued to cough, almost gagging as phlegm started crawling up his throat, getting stuck, and then falling back down. He didn't realize that Kyo was rubbing his back until it was almost over. Turning to the left to look at him, Kaoru laid his head on his knees and panted softly, his breath coming out in airy whispers.

"I'm…sorry," he managed to get out.

"Don't worry about it. You're still sick. It's just something I'll have to get used to," Kyo told him before giving him a very rare smile. Kaoru felt himself smiling back as his heart swelled with hope and joy.

"Okay?" Kyo asked, still rubbing his back. Kaoru nodded.

"Okay."

~…~

"Part of the healing process is sharing with other people who care."

Jerry Cantrell

~…~

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I set this back three years ago, when Kaoru was thirty-six. Also he's not married in this story. Oh, and sorry if the guys seem OOC. This is my first Diru fic, like I said. And there will be a sequel. Let me know what you think, okay?


End file.
